Anesthesiologist assistants are medical professionals that assist the anesthesiologist during surgical and non surgical procedures that are being performed on patients. They help the anesthesiologist by providing patient care during these procedures.

Anesthesiologist assistants have many different functions that they will need to perform as a part of their jobs. Their main job is to assistant the anesthesiologist during surgical and other types of procedures in which anesthesia is needed. This will involve monitoring the patient’s vital signs and providing patient care when needed. They may control the anesthesia levels during the procedure. They may give the patient fluids if needed. They may administer the anesthesia under the supervision of the anesthesiologist. They may assist in procedures such as spinal injections and epidurals. Anesthesiologist assistants may also provide advanced life support procedures such as high frequency ventilation. They monitor and document the patient’s condition in the medical chart during their post operative care. They also are in charge of pre-testing the anesthesia equipment and monitors that are used during these procedure to make sure that they are in good working order.

Anesthesiologist Assistant Salary:

An anesthesiologist assistant is one of the highest paid careers of all of the non medical doctor careers within the medical field. The current national average for the anesthesiologist assistant salary is about $120,000 per year. The anesthesiologist assistant income will depend on several factors including education, experience, type of facility you work in and even the location in which you work. Experience is one of the most important things that affects the salary of just about any career and anesthesiologist assistants are no different. A newly graduated anesthesiologist assistant salary is about $95,000 per year. The more experience you get under your belt, the more money and raises you will be offered. After you have five years of experience the anesthesiologist assistant salary will increase to $115,000 per year. The more you work and learn your job duties the more money you will be offered. Ten years of experience will see the anesthesiologist assistant wage increase to $129,000 per year. Fifteen years of experience will see the anesthesiologist assistant pay rate go up to $140,000 per year. The top salary for an anesthesiologist assistant can be obtained with more than twenty years of experience. At this advanced level of the career, the anesthesiologist assistant salary can be as high as $170,000 per year and in some cases more. It is important to note that these are just the averages and it is possible to make even more in some states.

Anesthesiologist Assistant Education:

There is extensive training and education required for anesthesiologist assistants. The first step in becoming an anesthesiologist assistant is to get your bachelor’s degree in undergraduate studies. Although most any degree is acceptable preference is given for students with degrees in biology, chemistry, math or allied health careers. Once you have completed your bachelor’s degree you can apply to an accredited anesthesiologist assistant program. These programs typically take an additional two to three years to complete. They will include classroom work and on site clinical rotations in which you will get to work with actual patients. Courses of study include patient monitoring, anesthetic sciences, pharmacology, ethics and law, anesthesia science and more. After graduating, you can become certified by taking a certification test. This will need to be taken every six years in addition to forty hours of continuing education credits every two years.

Anesthesiologist Assistant Work Environment:

The work environment for an anesthesiologist assistant is typically within a medical facility. The environment is well lit and temperature controlled. They typically work in surgical centers and the surgical department in hospitals. Some may work in a doctor’s office. They often work in teams with other medical professionals such as an anesthesiologist, CRNA, nurses and more. They need to have a high level of attention to detail and must be able to work well with others in a team environment. Anesthesiologist assistants have a stressful job and they must be able to handle stress well. They will also be on their feet for the majority of their shift. Work hours for an anesthesiologist assistant is typically forty or more hours per week. This may vary on the needs of the facility that you work for. Some may work overnight and on weekends. Some may be on call twenty four hours a day.

The career of an anesthesiologist assistant is a great career to go into. It offers a great salary, nice benefits, a good work environment and more. However, you will need to be the type of person that can handle a fast paced environment and be able to make snap decisions in a moment’s time. If you are the type of person that can handle this, then this may be the perfect job for you.